Throughout history there have been countless transgender athletes in professional sports. Many of these athletes have set & broken various records, and have won prestigious titles.

Below is a brief timeline outlining some important dates regarding transgender men and women in professional sports:

In 1968, The International Olympic Committee starts testing chromosomes of athletes to put a stop to transsexuals competing.

Transgender tennis Ace, Reneé Richards, was “outed” in 1976 and barred from competition when she attempts to enter a women's’ tennis tournament. One year later In 1977 Richards was granted entry to the U.S. Open after a ruling in her favor by the New York Supreme Court. This was considered a landmark decision in favor of transgender rights, establishing that transsexuals are legally accepted in their new identity after reassignment in the United States.

MtoF Transgender profesional golfer, Mianne Bagger, won her first South-Australian championship in 1999. Controversy would follow her career due to fans accusing her of having an advantage over other female competitors due to her being born a man.

FtoM transgendered man and German pole vaulter, Balian Buschbaum, takes 1st place in the European Junior Championships in 1999.

female to male Transgender and a German pole vaulter, Balian Buschbaum, competes in the 2000 Olympics where he placed 6th.

Also in 2004, The International Olympic Committee decided that transsexuals would be allowed to compete at the Athens Olympics if they have had appropriate surgery and were legally recognized as members of their new gender.

MtoF transgender pro golfer, Lena Lawless, won the women’s world championship in long-drive golf in 2008. Following her win, Lawless is excluded from competing in future competitions after the Ladies Professional Golf Association adopted their “female at birth” policy. Lawless would later go on to file a lawsuit against the LPGA on the grounds that its guidelines violated civil rights.

Transgender athlete Kye Allums became the first openly transgender athlete to play in NCAA basketball in 2010. Kye played on George Washington University's women's team.

In 2011, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance changed its policy to include transgender and bisexual players.